Jiralhanae
"With my blessing, the Brutes now lead our Fleets! They ask for your allegiance, and you shall give it!" -High Prophet of Truth The Jiralhanae (Latin Ferus Servire, translated to "Wild Slave") known by Humans as "Brutes" are the newest members of the Covenant. They are a large, bipedal, ape-like species from Doisac. The Jiralhanae were the second Covenant species encountered by Humans following the Kig-Yar raid on the Freighter, This End Up. ''They were also the first Covenant species encountered by the Harvest Colonial Militia. The Brutes have profound hatred of the Sangheili, unmatched by any other feud within the Covenant, fired by the Jiralhanae's natural aggressive nature and the Sangheili's attitudes of superiorty. The Jiralhanae have been part of the Covenant since before the destruction of the Human Outer Colony of Harvest, and were always feared by the Sangheili for their monomanical behaviour. The Jiralhanae's plans to seize power over the Sangheili began with their alliance with the High Prophet of Truth during the First Battle of Harvest and began making headway all the way until the splitting of the Covenant. They eventually took the role of the Prophet's Honor Guards from the Sangheili after the Sangheili failed to protect the High Prophet of Regret. This culiminated with the Jiralhanae replacing the Sangheili as the military backbone of the Covenant. They also lead the Covenant Loyalists. They are rated Native Tier 4/Adopted Tier 2 species by the Forerunner Technological Advancement Scale. History The Ark and Reseeding The Jiralhanae have been shown to be a savage race, but have proven intelligent enough to develop space-flight and Tier 2 status. This however, was before the Jiralhanae Civil Wars, which tore their homeworld apart and pushed them back to Tier 6 stage, where they stayed for many thousands of milliena. The Librarian indexed the Jiralhanae and after the halo activation, they reseeded back on their homeworld. They have been living as a Tier 6 race ever since, desperately trying to retake past glory. The Covenant Integration and Humanity The Jiralhanae eventually met the Covenant, who came to their homeworld hoping to assimilate them. They joined purely due to the promise of advanced technology and the ability to serve the Prophets. They quickly made enemies, especially among the Sangheili, which turned into rivalry. Although they hated each other, the Sangheili reluctantly allowed the Jiralhanae to become a military force, serving in the Covenant Army and Navy. Jiralhanae were allowed to command warships, but only ones the Sangheili thought were unfit for service or were used. This annoyed the Jiralhanae, but they learnt to get used to it. The Jiralhanae, ironically, were the ones to discover Humanity, where they met them face to face on the colony of Harvest. Although the meeting turned into a bloodbath, the Jiralhanae were able to gain reinforcements and Harvest was destroyed. The Jiralhanae then developed their own vehicles, such as the Chopper and the Prowler. They also created their own variant of the Sangheili Spectre, with a red finish off. However, this bitter rivalry would soon reach boiling point. The Great Schism Secretly working for the San'Shyuum and after finally gaining their orders, they carried out two operations: One was the massacre of Sangheili troops, and their Unggoy and Lekgolo allies on Earth and Installation 05, while the other was the murder and assassination of Sangheili Councilors on High Charity. Word quickly spread, and a Civil War broke out. The Sangheili had the upper hand in space, quickly decimating the Jiralhanae controlled vessels. Eventually the Jiralhanae replaced the Sangheili as the military backbone of the Covenant Empire. They served as the main military commanders of all the Loyalist forces. They soon proved however that thier leadership skills are poor, which lead to their dramatic failure at repelling the Separatist fleet and allowing Truth to get killed. The Dark Era and Beyond The Jiralhanae soon broke up into many factions. Some were employed by the Sangheili as a labor force, ironically, and some joined the Covenant Remnants. Others just resided back on Doisac and tried to rebuild their past society, a society long forgotten. A second set of Jiralhanae Civil Wars broke out, which allowed the Sangheili to gain the upperhand against their foes. They quickly formed the Jiralhanae Alliance, which was nothing but a disguise for their true state: they were weak and vulnerable. The UGA saw through this but invited the Jiralhanae into the UGA, which they accepted. They helped defeat the Covenant Remnants and their treacherous breathern and then took in any who requested a better path. Soon, only a minority of all Jiralhanae remain loyal to the Covenant Remnants, and even fewer after the Great Reformation. Description Brutes are of simian origin and have been said to resemble large gorillas, but, in some ways, they also resemble ursine, or rhinoceros as well. They have thick, gray skin, and are covered with matted, black, tan, or brown fur-like hair and some have short, black, or brown colored beards. Their large, stocky appearance is most likely due to the gravity on their planet, which is about twice the gravity of that on Earth. As they age, the hair will change to a grayish-silver color, which is a great sign of respect for all the Brutes. They have very sharp teeth and sometimes use them as a weapon. John-117 barely survived a hand-to-hand battle with one, proving how physically powerful they can be. However it should be noted that John-117 and the other Spartans were suffering from the non-stop combat they had endured since the battle of Reach, with John-117 sustaining, in Doctor Halsey's words, "Burns, brain damage, fractures, and internal bleeding". The other Spartans involved in the fight had sustained various injuries from falling over two kilometers at terminal velocity onto Reach's surface. It appears that their physical strength cannot be accurately quantified. However in ''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx a Spartan emptied a entire clip into a Jiralhanae and it was unfazed. Later another Jiralhanae managed to nearly knock a Spartan out and drain half of his shields, despite being shot in the face many times with a machine gun. [9] The Brutes, with the exception of Tartarus, did not use energy shielding in Halo 2. In Halo 3, all of them are equipped with Power Armor that emphasizes their natural strength and power. Brutes speak in deep, gravelly voices when speaking human languages and speak their native language as a series of grunts, hisses, roars and deep communal howls during ceremonies and for communication. In many military records, Brutes are referred to as 'Bravo Kilos', since UNSC Marines have nicknamed Brutes "Baby Kongs" or "Gorillas", a reference to King Kong. Anatomy and Physiology Brutes are physically imposing enemies to face in combat. Standing at approximately 9 feet tall, they not only tower over their human opponents, but the majority of their Covenant allies, with only Mgalekgolo standing taller than themselves. They have thick, gray skin that is extremely resilient to battle damage. In their first appearance, they are covered in thick, shaggy fur that offers further protection. It covers most of the body except for the head and the shoulder blades. However, the Brutes in Halo 2 are shaggier than those of Halo 3. In Halo 3, the Brutes have what looks like scales on their arms, but it may have been extensions to their armor, or simply their thick skin, as seen from McFarlane action figures. Brutes exhibit two colorations: brown and gray. This is perhaps an indication of age, since lower ranking Brutes are brown and most Honor Guards, and Tartarus himself, are grey. In Halo 3, they are seen with shaven faces, which increase the fearful effect they have on opponents. In Halo 3 Brutes have mixed red-and-blue blood (on first glance they look completely red, but on closer inspection one would see blue spots in pools of Brute blood). At a casual glance, it appears purple. In Halo 2, however, it appeared black. Brutes resemble a cross between an ape, and a rhinoceros, being taller and more muscular in the torso and limbs than a Human, and having the same weight and hight as a an average male polar bear. Heavily muscled and possessing an animalistic brutality and strength, Brutes can rely on close combat to defeat their enemies, even more so than their Elite counterparts. However, their great strength may in fact be simply relative, due to the species' evolution on a world with twice the gravity of Delta Halo, Earth, and other planets and structures with one 'g'. Featuring characteristics simian, ursine, and alien, their appearance fits their human given name. Brutes have digits on each hand including opposable thumbs. As such they can make use of a variety of weapons both of Covenant and human design. Their feet have only two digits. The Halo 3 Tartarus figure has a red tongue but if this is canon is unknown. When it comes to ranged conflict Brutes show a tendency to use large, rapid firing, often powerful weapons. This may be indicative of their mentality and an extension of their brutal nature. The many spikes and serrated edges that adorn their race's weapons, vehicles and armor further exhibit this. It is interesting to note that in Halo 2 Jiralhanae can be seen using human shotguns. Brutes sometimes wield their own handgun-style shotguns, Maulers, in Halo 3. Brutes are not as mentally slow as they may appear, and are often fairly cunning tacticians. As such they can pilot vehicles & ships and command both land based & fleet encounters with strategic competence, albeit lacking in artistic flair. They also have a higher vocabulary than other members of the Covenant apart from Elites and Prophets. Brutes are known to descend into a highly aggressive berserk killing-rage when all their pack mates have been killed. Their incredible physical strength coupled with a dogged self determination to kill their target makes a berserk Brute a force to be reckoned with, powerful enough even to kill Hunters (if they slam into the Hunter enough). Also, when berserking, they will not hesitate to attack an enemy, even if the target is in a vehicle, such as a Ghost. If the target is in a Spectre or Wraith, they will board it and attempt to kill (in a Wraith) or force the enemy out (such as in a Warthog or Spectre). Interestingly, they will neither attack nor hijack a low flying vehicle (such as a Banshee). There is a substantial difference between the Brutes of Halo 2 and Halo 3. The Brutes of Halo 2 had very little armor, were unclothed and unshaven. The Brutes of Halo 3 were largely shaven, clothed in tight-fitting garments that reflected their rank and were adorned with Power Armor. This probably had something to do with the Brutes' new-found rank after the Elites' split from the Covenant. The aesthetic and graphic differences between the two games also had a strong dichotomy between them, for the Brutes in Halo 2 were less detailed and less anthropoid than they were in Halo 3. This is a result of the technology available at the time the two games were made. Given the absence of power armor at the time of Halo 2, it is possible that the Brutes that were seen were members of Tartarus's pack and/or a subset of the Jiralhanae that shunned the use of extensive protection and emphasized relying on their own strength, skill, courage, and ferocity to protect them, or that all the Brutes you encountered in Halo 2 are from Maccabeus/Tartarus' clan and were banned from wearing armor due to their failure at Harvest. It is also possible that the Brutes of Halo 2 were second in rank to the Elites and the Prophets. Following The Great Schism, the Brutes became the Prophets' main protection, and it became a necessity to outfit them with more advanced equipment. In Halo: Contact Harvest, it is stated that before Jiralhanae reach full maturity, they naturally release pheromones. Other Jiralhanae can smell these pheromones and tell how others are feeling by the scent. When they do reach maturity, they learn to control the releases of their pheromones and most likely stop them all together. Culture Brutes are extremely zealous creatures, known for their willingness to cling to ancient, bloody traditions and are deep believers in the promise of the Great Journey and in the Forerunners. Their home world is war torn, and Brutes are known for their particular joy in vicious activity, complimented by regimented discipline. They prefer using weapons from their homeworld, rather than the Covenant standard-issue plasma-based firearms. Brute weapons are notable for being extremely dangerous, somewhat primitive and brutal, and always featuring a blade attachment such as the Spiker, Mauler, Brute Shot, and the Gravity Hammer. These weapons show their barbaric nature, for example, the fact that all of the weapons are named after ways of injury or causing bodily harm to another being. Although they do have their own type of Plasma Rifle, it is only found in Halo 2 and Halo 3 ODST(the rifle is red, but fires twice as fast as its blue counterpart, also causing it to overheat twice as fast). This type of Plasma Rifle was removed in Halo 3, being replaced by the Spiker. In general, Brutes have a pronounced dislike of the Sangheili, due to the fact that they believe that they are better protectors of the Prophets than the Elites. The Prophet of Truth took advantage of this to ignite the Great Schism during the events of Halo 2. Society Brutes have a fierce pack culture and lineage, a close knit affair that ties each member to another, and forces them into varying states of rage known as "berserking", and desperate mourning for their fallen pack mates should one die in the midst of battle. What a pack member kills may be the food of the pack. Each pack is led by a prominent Brute Chieftain that wields a ceremonial Gravity Hammer, passed from one leader to another upon his death, to denote his status. A Brute becomes a pack Chieftain by challenging the current Chieftain to a Mortal duel; the victor claims the title after executing the other. The chieftain rules his pack like his own little empire. Their warrior culture is extremely patriarchal, with rank measured by success on and off the battlefield, unlike the Sangheili. It is unlikely, given their combative and aggressive nature, that the Jiralhanae have a single cohesive government. Instead, Jiralhanae society can be viewed as an extension to the simply pack structure, but with a number of different levels: *Pack: range in size and importance, with less important packs made up largely of Unggoy or Kig-Yar forces and led by a low-ranked Jiralhanae, and more important packs led by War Chieftains and comprised of more experienced veteran Jiralhanae bodyguards. *Master Pack: more military oriented groups, Master-Packs are comprised of many smaller packs. Prior to contact with the Covenant, rival Master Packs reduced Jiralhanae society to a preindustrial level through warfare. *Alpha Pack: seem to be the political body of the Jiralhanae, and are comprised of smaller Master Packs. Lead by Alpha Jiralhanae. Naming Most known Jiralhanae have Latin-sounding names, such as Tartarus and Bracktanus. In Contact Harvest, it is revealed that the "-us" at the end of their name is an honor denoting maturity or experience in battle (similar to the "-ee" suffix on Elite's names.) However, it is possible that different naming conventions are used among different tribes, as evidenced by the names of Gargantum and Parabum. Homeworld Doisac is the name of the Jiralhanae home world. It possesses three satellites: Warial, Solrapt, and Teash, and is the fourth planet of the Oth Sonin system. The gravity on the planet is approximately 2.1G while the atmosphere is 1.3 ATM. Surface temperature is between -15'C to 52'C. The estimated population of the planet is approximately 12.5 billion. Its habitat is described as being dominated by magma and magnetism. Rank Structure Jiralhanae Minor Brute Minors are the lowest rank of the Brute race, clad in turquoise Armor and typically armed with the Type-25 Carbine. Not only do they compete for their posting but also for their equipment. Identification: Teal-Green armor, unarmored in Halo 2. Jiralhanae Major Brute Majors are clad in dark blue Armor and are promoted in a similar fashion to the Elites. They are promoted on the casualties they inflict. Identification: Blue armor. Jiralhanae Ultra Brute Ultras are now armed with violet Armor, they are comprised of the best of the regular infantrymen, showing tact, cunning skill and strength. Identification: Purple-Blue/Indigo armor. Jiralhanae Stalker Brute Stalkers are the secret police of the Brutes and specialize in stealth techniques with their Active camouflage generators. They seem to be the Brute counterparts of the Stealth Elite unit. Identification: Grayish Black armor, Incendiary Grenades, Radar Jammers, Maulers. Jiralhanae Jump Pack Minor These veteran Brutes utilize jump packs to launch aerial attacks from afar, and use their enhanced mobility for guerrilla battle tactics. They seem to be the Brute counterparts of the Ranger Elite Unit. Identification: Jump pack, Blue armor. Jiralhanae Jump Pack Major These veteran Brutes utilize jump packs to launch aerial attacks from afar, and use their enhanced mobility for guerrilla battle tactics. They seem to be the Brute counterparts of the Ranger Elite Unit. Identification: Jump pack, Red armor. Jiralhanae Jump Pack Captain These veteran Brutes utilize jump packs to launch aerial attacks from afar, and use their enhanced mobility for guerrilla battle tactics. They seem to be the Brute counterparts of the Ranger Elite Unit. Identification: Jump pack, Gold armor. Jiralhanae Bodyguard Brute Bodyguards are some of the Chieftain's most reliable warriors and not only protect their chieftain but enforce his tribal law. They seem to be the Halo 3 Brute counterparts of the Honor thumb|left|link=Guard Elite Unit. Identification: Grayish-Blue/Steel Blue armor. Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman Brute Honor Guards were chosen by the Prophets to replace the Honor Guard Elites as their protectors after murder of the High Prophet of Regret. They are exclusive of Halo 2 and are some of the best warriors the Brutes have. Identification: Orange, Yellow and Red Ceremonial Armor; Red Flag. Jiralhanae Captain The Brute Captains are experienced Brutes who now lead their comrades and the lesser races into battle. Identification: Purple-Red Armor. Jiralhanae Captain Major The Brute Captain Majors are even more experienced than their younger comrades and lead larger packs into battle. Also usually wield Brute Shots and Fuel Rod Guns. Identification: Golden Armor. Jiralhanae Captain Ultra The Brute Captain Ultras are the highest captain rank and use heavier weapons, such as Brute Shots and Fuel Rod Guns. Identification: Cyan/Cobalt Armor. Chieftain These Brute Chieftains are clad in crimson/black armor and wield close-ranged Melee weapons such as Gravity Hammers. They also sometimes use Portable Plasma Turrets. They use Invincibility, a Power Drainer, or a Flare and their Power Armor cannot be stuck by Plasma/Spike grenades or Needler needles. However, they can be stuck by Incendiary Grenades. Also, their weapon can be stuck by any sticking grenade. Identification: Black and Red Armor. War Chieftain These Brute Chieftains rely upon powerful weapons like Portable Plasma Cannons and Fuel Rod Guns, though they will occasionally wield Gravity Hammers, to crush their foes, while often throwing or possessing Power Drains and Flares. Their armor cannot be stuck by Plasma Grenades/Spike Grenades or Needler needles. However, they can be stuck by Incendiary Grenades or their weapon can by any sticking grenade for an immediate kill. Identification: Dark Golden Armor. Other Ranks Chieftain of the Jiralhanae The Leader of the entire Jiralhanae race. Both Maccabeus and Tartarus were of this rank. Since Tartarus was killed in the Battle of Installation 05, the current Chieftain is unknown, if there is one at all. Shipmaster/Alpha Jiralhanae Commanders of ships. They may be equivalent to Captains or Chieftains of the Jiralhanae. Jiralhanae Army Commander Only in Halo Wars, probably same rank or near same rank as Chieftain of the Jiralhanae. May be a specific rank created for war and conflict, such as the Human-Covenant war. Gameplay Unlike Elites, who are masterfully skilled tacticians, the Brute combat mentality relies on overwhelming force, sheer strength, and incredibly strong firepower, hence the name "Brute". They are easily enraged, and when provoked, will drop their weapon and charge their opponent recklessly. Halo-fans have often argued about Elites and Brutes and their combat-ability. It depends on the situation. Elites rely on intense tactical strategies, superior technology and agility. Brutes, on the other hand, rely on their gigantic figures, physical endurance, and strength in numbers. In Halo 2, a berserking Brute can sometimes kill several shielded Elite Honor Guards if they aren't equiped with Energy Swords, however this is mostly due to the fact that Brutes in Halo 2 were added in at a late stage of production, and, due to time restraints, were left without much testing, making them rather overpowered foes. In Halo 3, Brutes are properly ''balanced out,'' and on the level The Covenant, the 5 Elites assisting you can generally equal 7-9 Brutes with no assistance. Elites and Brutes, in the story "The Return" in Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, were told to be somewhat equally matched in ground battles, with casualities on both sides, when there was no technological disparity between the two. In space, however, the Elites were superior, evidenced by the Battle for The Ark, when the Elites, while outnumbered, were able to destroy most of the Brute Fleet. Eventually, due to the Brutes' inability to maintain cohesion in the ranks, were made easier prey for the Elites. The Elites are certainly more well-trained than the Brutes. On the other hand, the Elites rigid adherence to their code of honour holds them back from being the best tacticians they could be and the Brute's lack of code of honour is a crucial advantage to them in combat. It is generally agreed, the Elites are certainly more professional in combat than Brutes. Due to their unparalleled combat prowess, cunning, and intelligence, the Sanghelli are often regarded as the Covenant's best all-around combatant, perhaps only challenged by the Mgalekgolo. Trivia *During concept stages for Halo 3, the Brutes were planned to use deployable metal shields, rather than the energy shields used by Elites. This idea was eventually cut from the final game, although it would inspire the Brutes ducking animation. *Before Halo 3 was released, Brutes had lime green blood instead of the dark purple/red blood they have in the final game. *In Halo 3: ODST the power armor of the Brutes completely lights up, similarly to Elite and SPARTAN energy shields, instead of small sparks designating where gun fire hits their armor like in Halo 3. *According to First Strike, Brutes were first encountered by SPARTAN-II personnel aboard the Unyielding Hierophant in 2552. However, Contact Harvest, Halo Wars, and multiple stories in Halo Evolutions clearly indicate that Brutes were encountered by humanity in general much earlier, while The Package reveals that they had been encountered by SPARTAN-IIs as early as 2535. In the Definitive Edition, this was changed to it just being mentioned that there were Brutes on the station. *The word "Jiralhanae" is a Korean word that roughly means "stupid aggressive lunatic", which describes the Brutes' aggressive personality. *In the ViDoc, Et Tu Brute, Chris Butcher describes the Brutes in Halo 2 as "damage sponges", referring to how they weren't very interesting to fight against, acting mainly like less agile Elites who dropped their guns and ran straight toward the player when they got angry. The ViDoc shows Brutes wielding energy swords; however they are never seen doing so in-game. Et Tu Brute also shows a Brute Minor with a Brute Shot using the corpse of another Brute as cover from which to fire from, and another tearing the arms off a captured Marine. Additionally, a Brute Chieftain wielding a plasma cannon wields the version from Halo 2. This is because Bungie was using it as a placeholder until they developed the Halo 3 model. *In the same ViDoc the brutes original concept was revealed to be taken from the ancient barbarians that plagued Rome and eventually became assimilated into it. This would account for the Brutes tribal appearance and more berserker based combat in Halo 2, while in Halo 3 the Brutes became properly armoured/equipped (and shaven) and have a more tactical battlefield approach as result of further induction into the Covenant and replacement of Elites. *Also in this ViDoc, an animation of a Brute stomping on a marine. This is not seen in Halo 3, but it is recycled and used in Halo: Reach, in the level Exodus as a scripted encounter between a Brute and a civilian. It should be noted that the latter simply shows the Brute putting its foot on the civilian and making a squishing noise. *Though it has been said by players that Brutes are fat, they are described as pure muscle. *In Halo 2, it is possible to find Brutes wielding human shotguns. This is the first in-game instance of a Covenant member making use of human weaponry by default. *In Halo 2, Brute blood is a dark shade of blue, while it is red with blue splotches in Halo 3. *"Brute" is a literal translation from the Covenant language when spoken by Covenant characters. *John Dimaggio provided the voice for the Brute Chieftains in Halo 3 and'' Halo 3: ODST''. *The "-us" suffix on the end of Brute names is actually a Latin noun ending which designates something as masculine. *In the level Ander's Signal in Halo Wars, Serina identifies the Jiralhanae using the actual name of the species, as well as calling them Brutes. This is the first time a Covenant species' actual name is spoken in scripted dialogue. *In The Package, Brutes do not wear armor, have green blood, and appear to be less resilient to ballistic damage than normal. In the episode, Brutes are shown commanding squads of Grunts and Jackals on an Elite-controlled ship. *Brutes never dual wield weapons, even though they hold some weapons with only one hand. Yet Brutes are seen dual-wielding Spikers in the Keep It Clean ''Trailer of ''Halo 3: ODST. *The Jiralhanae species have been compared with the Romans. Their nickname "Brute" originates from the Shakespearean line "Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar!". Towards the end of the Roman republic, Marcus Julius Brutus and his followers assassinate their dictator Gais Julius Caesar over political opposition. This can be compared to when Tartarus killed his uncle Maccabeus over political reasons (Tartarus believed he had a right to become the new Chieftain). Both Brutus and Tartarus would be killed in a civil war. *Despite having been absorbed into the Covenant in 249, Ghosts of Onyx describes the feud between the Jiralhanae and the Sangheili as "ancient", giving us a (possibly) false hint about the two races have been fighting before. *Brutes in Halo: Reach have more armor than their Halo 2 counterparts, but have less than their Halo 2 and Halo Wars counterparts. *Brutes in Halo: Reach have traditional marking on their forehead and are shaved fully. In Halo 2, Brutes didn't have markings, haven't been shaved, and have no decorative armor. In Halo 3, they have been shaved and have more armor but lack markings. This is strange in Halo: Reach as all Halo games (with exception of Halo Wars) are in the same timeline since there is no evidence of a raise in the Covenant hierachy. *There are only three brute ranks in Halo: Reach: Brute Minor, Captain Major, and Chieftain. *In the Halo 3 level "Cortana", Brute skulls can be seen littering several hallways. *In Halo: Reach Brute Minors and Captain Majors can be killed with a supercombine (three shots on an unshielded target) from a needle rifle due to the fact they have no energy shielding. *If the IWHBYD Skull is on during Halo 3 Campaign, a marine can say "Hey, I heard their weakness is bananas, do we have any bananas?" An obvious remark about their ape like appearance. *When a player dies, they can sometimes act like the UNSC Marines, shooting at the dead corpse to taunt the dead enemy and celebrate their victory. This is common in Halo 2, but less common on any other Halo Game. *Brutes can use Machine Gun turrets with decent accuracy. This can be seen on Crow's Nest when you fight the Chieftian and his Brutes. *Players often use powerful guns against Brutes but Needlers and Plasma Pistols are extremely useful against Brutes because the Needler has a supercombine explosion that will instantly kill any armored Brute (except the Brute Chieftain) and Plasma Pistols because they have a charged blast can take off the armor of any Brute except the Brute Chieftain, but can disable his energy shields to make him easier to kill. Glitches and Mistakes *In Halo 2, if a berserk Brute charges into a group of fixed objects it will continue its charging animation, but it will remain where it is. *In Halo 3, if any Brute becomes infected by the Flood he will turn into a Flood-infected Brute Minor due to graphical restraints. However, if the player triggers a loading point that removes the Flood from the level while a Infection Form has begun the infection process, the Flood Infection Form will be deleted, the infection process will be stopped yet the transformation will simultaneously complete. This will result in infected Brutes who are allied with the Flood while retaining berserking, appearance, and hijacking abilities. The only noticeable Flood features are signs of Flood infection growing on their back. The only known instance of half-infected Brutes is on The Covenant. *In Halo 3, if a Brute Chieftain with a Plasma Cannon goes berserk, the Plasma Cannon disappears. When the Chieftain is killed, the same Plasma Cannon reappears by its body. This is due that the support weapon has no "putting away" animation. This has been fixed in Halo 3: ODST - if the War Chieftain goes berserk, the Plasma Cannon will hang across his back just like a normal two-handed weapon. *If one were to hijack or get a Brute out of his banshee during the Halo 3 mission "The Covenant," when the player first gets his/her hornet, then the brute that has fallen from his banshee is sometimes wielding a battle rifle. *In Halo 2, if a brute is hijacked over water while in a banshee, the brute will go into a zombie-like state. It will follow you aimlessly and will ignore all attacks until it goes berserk. *In Halo 2, in the level "The Great Journey", if you linger around the Scarab after Sgt. Johnson blows the door open, an infinite amount of waves (usually about 2 per wave) of banshees will spawn. If you are on the ground and hijack one of these banshees, the brute ejected is weaponless and will not attempt to attack the player. The brute will also make no attempt to get out of the way of a banshee heading its way. *Due to pressure by fans, Bungie made Halo 2 a bit early, so the Brutes in Halo 2 can melee attack and, when attacked back, won't take a hit, he will usually keep meleeing until either the target is dead, or he is dead. *In Halo:Reach there is an easter egg, where upon hitting a hidden switch and then flying to the club and entering the Brutes will turn into DJ's and bar tenders. *In Halo: Reach, Brutes seem to be much smaller than the others in the Halo Series. Other Category:Major Races